How can we embedding a culture of happiness in Project Management?
Mohamed HassanProject Management Consultant, Author and Speaker| LIFELONGKuwait, Kuwait
I'm looking for a practical ideas to embedding a culture of happiness in Project Management to increase the productivity and having a healthy work environment Saving Changes...
Eric SimmsSenior Program ManagerBaltimore, Maryland, United States
The best way to embed happiness in Project Management is for PMs to do their work exceptionally well. Stakeholders feel the most happiness when they know a project is well-run, and therefore free of the uncertainty that causes them worry and fear. People want to know what's expected of them, and when. They want to know that the obstacles impeding their progress will be removed, and that their hard work won't be wasted through their leaders' incompetence. Give people a well-run work environment, and they’ll have no problem introducing their own happiness into it.
Speaking from experience as a project team member, PMs who try to inject happiness into an environment filled with problems often seem patronizing, as if they think people can be distracted from the problems by such trifles as team lunches and donuts brought into meetings. These attempts usually backfire and increase workplace unhappiness as people think "Instead of making me waste my time at yet another team lunch, when are you going to do your job and fix the real issues around here??"
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1 reply by Mohamed Hassan
Mar 29, 2017 8:42 AM
Mohamed Hassan
...
Thank you all for the wonderful ideas, I asked my team and others as well the same question and their replies was:
1- When we appreciated for the hard work.
2- When everyone Konws exactly what he/she suppose to do and they have the cababilty to do it.
3- When we are in the environment that support the teamwork.
4- when we feel that we treated equally
5- when the management become give us the needed support
6- when we respect each other
7- When everyone responsible of his/her decision
8- When we got unexpected small gift or appreciation
9- When we have the freedom to take decisions
10- When everyone knows his/her reponsabilities.
11- When we trust each other
12- When we have a positive attitude in our workspace
13- When we feel that we are valuable and produce a real value not rework
14 - When the leaders communicate their vision to is very clear
15- When we have appreciation from our customer for the good work
16- When we are secure at work
17- When we feel the leaders with us not with their laptops or mobile phones
We become happy
This what I got from them and just I share it with you and most of it you mentioned in your comments
Thanks a lot
Saving Changes...
Igor ZdorovyakDirector of Projects| ImmunovantFair Lawn, Nj, United States
Hi Mohamed,
I recently heard a song and the singer was saying along this lines that it it better to be useful than free. Yes, freedom is important. However, if you instill the usefulness that somebody brings from performing their role in your organization you'll have a happy more productive workers. Saving Changes...
Sergio Luis ConteHelping to create solutions for everyone| Worldwide based OrganizationsBuenos Aires, Argentina
Forget about it. Your duty is not make people happy. And happyness is a subjective matter. So, it is impossible to make people happy. Saving Changes...
Leslie GoldstoneFounder & Principal Coach| Advice with PurposeVernon Hills, Il, United States
I think this is a great thread! How do we embed happiness within the project management community? It is hard work to be a good PM and it doesn't always bring out happiness. It is typically a thankless job. You are blamed when things go wrong, but rarely thanked when things go well. Happiness is a mindset, so how do you draw in happiness when you are buried in the weeds of project management? Saving Changes...
Mohamed, you are not alone. I'm always looking for ideas to bringing about a culture of happiness in my agile projects. I started introducing gamification about three years ago and found it works. It not only increase productivity and instills a healthy work environment, it helps correct dysfunctional team behavior. The key to gamification is to make sure you create/select games that target what you want to fix or do. You don't want to add a game for the sake of having one.You also need to select a game that is not too long. I usually go for games that can be played 3-5 minutes, and that could be played throughout the week. This way I reinforce skills. You can look up gamification, game based learning, and Tastycupcakes.org,, there is a lot of good work done in this area, including my free app Gelling:Akeakami Quest. Inspired by my many teams this app is meant to teach collaboration, coordination and improve communication. The good news is, you don't need to be using Agile to introduce happiness. Saving Changes...
Anonymous
People are happy in the workplace when they can use their potential. If they are assigned tasks in which their best skills are not used properly, any external motivation will not work and will not make them fully happy. Also healthy human relations are important and also fostering the behaviours that are "right" like teamwork, sharing knowledge etc. and discouraging the "wrong ones" like blaming, stilling others ideas etc. It is also important to treat people as individuals and recognize their individual needs - while intense creative workshops with whole team involved can be great for dynamic extraverts, it can make introvert people very uncomfortable. What works for everybody it is the opportunity to introduce their own ideas, feeling that they have impact can increase level of happiness and sense of fulfilment. Saving Changes...
Have you surveyed the workforce; delivered a workshop to gather ideas so the staff can be part of the process? Many times, it's best to be more inclusive and open to gain buy in. Saving Changes...
S RajasekarSenior Project Manager| AllscriptsBangalore, Karnataka, India
Employees should be happy because they have got job to do and get paid for that, what else
If unhappy should remember there are millions out there without job and salary....
We and corporate are here to make money and survive .. happiness is subjective Ex: Farmer is praying for rain he will be happy if he get's rain , salt maker is praying for bright sun, he will be happy if it is not raining..... If both are on same area ..... Saving Changes...
Mohamed HassanProject Management Consultant, Author and Speaker| LIFELONGKuwait, Kuwait
Mar 21, 2017 8:48 AM
Replying to Eric Simms
...
The best way to embed happiness in Project Management is for PMs to do their work exceptionally well. Stakeholders feel the most happiness when they know a project is well-run, and therefore free of the uncertainty that causes them worry and fear. People want to know what's expected of them, and when. They want to know that the obstacles impeding their progress will be removed, and that their hard work won't be wasted through their leaders' incompetence. Give people a well-run work environment, and they’ll have no problem introducing their own happiness into it.
Speaking from experience as a project team member, PMs who try to inject happiness into an environment filled with problems often seem patronizing, as if they think people can be distracted from the problems by such trifles as team lunches and donuts brought into meetings. These attempts usually backfire and increase workplace unhappiness as people think "Instead of making me waste my time at yet another team lunch, when are you going to do your job and fix the real issues around here??"
Thank you all for the wonderful ideas, I asked my team and others as well the same question and their replies was:
1- When we appreciated for the hard work.
2- When everyone Konws exactly what he/she suppose to do and they have the cababilty to do it.
3- When we are in the environment that support the teamwork.
4- when we feel that we treated equally
5- when the management become give us the needed support
6- when we respect each other
7- When everyone responsible of his/her decision
8- When we got unexpected small gift or appreciation
9- When we have the freedom to take decisions
10- When everyone knows his/her reponsabilities.
11- When we trust each other
12- When we have a positive attitude in our workspace
13- When we feel that we are valuable and produce a real value not rework
14 - When the leaders communicate their vision to is very clear
15- When we have appreciation from our customer for the good work
16- When we are secure at work
17- When we feel the leaders with us not with their laptops or mobile phones
We become happy
This what I got from them and just I share it with you and most of it you mentioned in your comments
Thanks a lot Saving Changes...
Mohamed HassanProject Management Consultant, Author and Speaker| LIFELONGKuwait, Kuwait
Thank you all for the wonderful ideas, I asked my team and others as well the same question and their replies was:
1- When we appreciated for the hard work.
2- When everyone Konws exactly what he/she suppose to do and they have the cababilty to do it.
3- When we are in the environment that support the teamwork.
4- when we feel that we treated equally
5- when the management become give us the needed support
6- when we respect each other
7- When everyone responsible of his/her decision
8- When we got unexpected small gift or appreciation
9- When we have the freedom to take decisions
10- When everyone knows his/her reponsabilities.
11- When we trust each other
12- When we have a positive attitude in our workspace
13- When we feel that we are valuable and produce a real value not rework
14 - When the leaders communicate their vision to is very clear
15- When we have appreciation from our customer for the good work
16- When we are secure at work
17- When we feel the leaders with us not with their laptops or mobile phones
We become happy
This what I got from them and just I share it with you and most of it you mentioned in your comments
Thanks a lot Saving Changes...
